This invention relates to a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) devices, more particularly to logic technology based embedded DRAM devices.
As a solution to the problem of the manufacture of a System-on-Chip (SoC) type of device, use of an eDRAM device has numerous advantages over an embedded Static Random Access Memory (eSRAM). One of the biggest advantages of an eDRAM is the reduced area employed, roughly two to three times less than the area required by an eSRAM. However, the advantage of eDRAMs is diluted by the process complexity and the additional cost caused by the unique process of manufacturing DRAM devices. Therefore, both simplification of the manufacturing process and reduction of the cost of the manufacturing process are required concomitantly maintaining reduced area advantages. Use of logic technology based eDRAMs is such an example. Except for the process of capacitor fabrication, the processing is almost the same as for the logic process. Therefore, a relatively low threshold Cell Access Transistor (CAT) results in improvement of performance and removal of an additional mask step. But, a low threshold CAT will bring about a severe data retention problem because of its high leakage current. To compensate for data leakage, a more frequent data refresh operation is needed. More frequent data refresh operation gives rise to another performance degradation to system reducing memory availability.